The Overly Competent Junior Employee

“PB Yoon: ‘During inflation, currency value falls; must invest to increase value.'”

“PB Yoon: ‘Pessimists become stars, optimists make money.’ Taking aim at Professor Jo Hyun-seok? Leaves meaningful words behind.”

Bang-

The next day, Jo Hyun-seok slammed his desk as he checked an online article from an economic newspaper.

He had been notified by those around him to check the article since morning, and upon reading it, he felt the other party’s words had gone too far.

“Pessimists only become stars, he says?”

While he didn’t show it to others, these words struck his most sensitive spot.

Supporters flocking to his social media praised him for accurately predicting the stock market crash, saying they hadn’t suffered significant losses thanks to him.

And that adulation translated into sales of his newly published book, broadcasting appearance fees, and subscriber numbers on his personal YouTube channel.

“After enduring so much contempt and ridicule to get where I am, how dare this upstart judge me so casually?”

However, serious stock investors and people in securities firms whispered that he was doing this just to sell books.

He knew that even those who called him “Doctor” or “Professor” and flattered him to his face were cursing him behind his back.

“I thought this young punk was cute, but…”

But no one had openly insulted him like this before.

Everyone in the industry knew Jo Hyun-seok’s temperament.

Many people had taken shots at him before, calling him a quack or a book peddler, but every single one of them had eventually raised the white flag.

“If he doesn’t know fear, I’ll have to teach him.”

Jo Hyun-seok had a weapon that securities firm employees couldn’t possess even if they wanted to.

Click-

Jo Hyun-seok moved his mouse around, went to his Facebook page, linked the article he had just read, and began writing.

[Can’t refute the words, so attack the messenger?]

After setting this title, Jo Hyun-seok started writing with a stern expression, and after a moment, he took a deep breath and posted the article to his feed.

“I need to show him clearly why everyone avoids messing with me.”

Ding- Ding-

As cheerful notification sounds rang from his speakers, Jo Hyun-seok checked the comments and found many had been posted in a short time.

-Clearly, they can’t refute your words, Professor, so they’re labeling you a pessimist.

-Those securities firm guys always think of us as just money. There’s no one who truly thinks about us retail investors like you, Professor.

-Yoon Dokyung from Yuseong Investment Securities, you say? He needs to be taught a lesson.

After checking the comments, the corners of Jo Hyun-seok’s mouth curled up.

He had a weapon that securities firm employees inherently couldn’t possess, and now that weapon had left his hands.

“Let’s see how you handle this.”

Jo Hyun-seok hummed a tune, imagining Yoon Dokyung’s face as he came to apologize to him.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

Self-employed Lee Shin-hyung invested most of his profits in stocks as a form of savings.

In 2020, when the global stock market crashed due to the pandemic, he began to take an interest in stocks after hearing on the radio he kept on in his shop that now was the time to buy stocks.

Amidst the struggles, he needed to gain somewhere else, so as if possessed, he invested in stocks. Surprisingly, after he invested, the global stock market began to rebound.

‘If I hadn’t started stocks then, I would have been in big trouble.’

The reason Lee Shin-hyung was able to hold on even when surrounding shops were closing due to COVID-19 was thanks to his stock profits.

As the COVID situation improved and business began to roll again, he continued to invest in stocks.

“It’s falling again today.”

Lee Shin-hyung smiled as he logged into his HTS on the shop computer to check the stock market situation.

“I really did well listening to Professor Jo Hyun-seok.”

Lee Shin-hyung had liquidated most of his stocks last week. Although he tried not to be shaken in a bear market as he invested in monthly installments, the global commotion made him anxious.

So he started looking for information here and there.

He first encountered Jo Hyun-seok, who was said to predict declines with uncanny accuracy, on a YouTube channel, and from the day after watching that video, stock prices began to fall just as Jo Hyun-seok had said.

“If I hadn’t sold, I would have lost over 15%.”

After that, he studied by watching videos featuring Jo Hyun-seok, reading his books, and subscribing to his social media.

The conclusion he reached was to sell stocks before they fell further, and after Lee Shin-hyung liquidated his stocks, prices were falling every day.

“What’s this?”

After checking his HTS, Lee Shin-hyung was browsing the news when he came across articles with provocative headlines.

“YouTube broadcast ignites battle between decline vs. rise, spreads beyond the market.”

“Representative declinist Professor Jo Hyun-seok in war of nerves with Yuseong Investment Securities PB.”

“Professor Jo Hyun-seok: ‘Oil prices have peaked too. Oil refinery stocks are also dangerous.'”

“Professor Jo Hyun-seok: ‘Stocks themselves are risky this year.'”

“PB Yoon Dokyung: ‘I agree there will be high volatility. But we must continue investing.'”

“PB Yoon: ‘There are stocks that rise even in a bear market. We shouldn’t approach pessimistically.'”

“PB Yoon: ‘Pessimists become stars, optimists make money.’ Taking aim at Professor Jo Hyun-seok? Leaves meaningful words behind.”

“Those securities firm guys are always the problem.”

Lee Shin-hyung clicked his tongue as he read the articles.

“They just see customers as cash cows.”

Retail investors didn’t view securities firms favorably.

While securities firms were gateways for stock investment, they often acted in ways that influenced the market with the stocks they managed.

It was common for securities firms to sell their holdings and drive down prices just as a company’s stock price started to rise.

There were even malicious conspiracy theories that they deliberately lowered target prices in company analysis reports from their research centers to drive down stock prices.

“They already take so much in trading fees. How much more do they want to suck out of retail investors in this market?”

Lee Shin-hyung also thought of securities firms as enemies of retail investors.

“And you know what? Professor Jo Hyun-seok is the one who’s saving retail investors in this kind of market.”

Lee Shin-hyung had already become an ardent supporter of Jo Hyun-seok. If he hadn’t listened to Jo Hyun-seok, his -15% return would have fallen further to -25%.

Losing 15% was regrettable enough, but there was a reason he could feel relieved looking at the current market.

“I should go support Professor Jo Hyun-seok.”

Honestly, Lee Shin-hyung hoped the stock market would stay as it was. If it were to rise after he had sold at a loss…

Lee Shin-hyung shuddered and accessed Jo Hyun-seok’s Facebook to start leaving supportive comments.

⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱

“My opinion is as I stated in the broadcast…”

-I don’t care about that! Apologize to the professor!

The next day, Dokyung was having a hard time from the morning with incoming calls. This had been happening frequently lately, but this morning’s ordeal was different in nature from the previous incidents.

Click.

That was the fifth call that had just said their piece and hung up.

“Sigh…”

“Hahaha, you spoke so strongly in the article, but why are you responding so weakly today?”

Choi Woojin, who had been watching Dokyung sigh, asked with a laugh.

Sometimes Dokyung would say everything he needed to say confidently, but now he was acting as if he were in a lower position.

“What sin have these people committed?”

“What do you mean, no sin? They’re interfering with our business.”

At Choi Woojin’s words, Dokyung smiled and took a seat on the sofa.

“Aren’t you preparing for the market?”

“I’ve already contacted all the clients. You’re changing the subject? Tell me. Why are you taking such a low stance?”

“The bad ones are people like Jo Hyun-seok who incite and mislead. If we’re going to get angry, we should direct it at the right people.”

Of course, he didn’t think there was nothing wrong with people who called out of the blue telling him to apologize to Jo Hyun-seok.

“I’m angry and it seems pathetic… but I think we need to prevent incitement all the more at times like these.”

Stocks are high-risk investment products, and investment returns can vary depending on how much you believe in the stocks you hold.

Even if stock prices fall due to external variables like now, you need faith that the company’s value hasn’t changed, and belief that someday the stock price will converge to the value you think it should have.

And that belief should be based on data calculated through thorough study.

“Jo Hyun-seok is just a merchant who parasitizes the market and exploits anxiety.”

Jo Hyun-seok had been going on about a great depression coming all year without any data.

Targeting individual investors who were unfamiliar with stock investment or didn’t have time to study separately.

A person who pursued his own interests by exploiting their anxiety.

That was the type of person Jo Hyun-seok and his ilk were.

“Still, take it easy. Why are you putting yourself out there and getting stressed? They trust Jo Hyun-seok more than us anyway.”

“Of course, I know we’re not trusted more than Jo Hyun-seok by individual investors.”

Securities firms were not trusted by individual investors, and were even objects of hatred beyond that.

Dokyung knew that PBs like himself were seen as no different from merchants like Jo Hyun-seok.

“But if someone needs to stand up and stop people like Jo Hyun-seok in a situation like this, I think it should at least be someone actually working in the field.”

A bear market was precisely the moment when experts like himself needed to step up and help individual investors.

Listening to what beliefs individual investors had when they bought their stocks, and giving them confidence in those beliefs.

If those beliefs were mistaken, advising how to minimize losses while exiting – that was the job of experts.

Not pursuing personal gain by exploiting anxiety like Jo Hyun-seok.

“I understand you’re worried about me, Assistant Manager Choi Woojin, but I have no intention of going easy. As I said, someone needs to step up.”

Dokyung knew that Jo Hyun-seok used his weapons to silence others.

Because people were reluctant to confront him, investors were selling stocks at a loss that could recover if they just waited.

‘Stocks? It’s gambling, isn’t it? Just guessing whether it’ll go up or down.’

‘Isn’t it just a government-approved gambling den? Like Jeongseon Land and the stock market.’

Views that still treated the stock market as gambling were prevalent.

Dokyung thought people like Jo Hyun-seok were contributing to these views.

Those who saw stocks not as objects of study and investment, but merely as objects of speculation, seeking their own profit within that.

That’s why Dokyung had no intention of standing by.

“You really are something.”

Choi Woojin looked at Dokyung with a smile.

“I’m not being sarcastic… I really think you’re amazing. It’s not an easy issue to tackle. As you said, for the stock prices to recover and put people like Jo Hyun-seok in their place…”

“They will rise.”

Dokyung spoke with conviction as he looked at Choi Woojin.

“Because data doesn’t betray us.”

Ding-

Just as Dokyung said those words, the trading system began sending market opening notifications, and both of them stood up without hesitation to check the trading system.

After observing the monitor for a while, Choi Woojin smiled and put his hand on Dokyung’s shoulder.

“Looks like it’s responding to your faith, doesn’t it?”